Anyone who seriously starts collecting watches quickly realizes: it's an expensive hobby.
Once you enter the realm of iconic luxury watches that every enthusiast wants to add to their collection - your Rolex Submariners, your Omega Speedmasters, your Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks - you see that the price tag runs into tens of thousands of dollars. Naturally, many of us don't have that kind of money to spend on watches, but fortunately, there are many iconic watches that are quite affordable. In this guide, we've presented you with the best of them.
Best Affordable Iconic Watches
What Makes a Watch Iconic?
What makes a watch iconic? Typically, there should be something remarkable about it. Perhaps it gained fame by appearing in a movie or on the wrist of a famous person. Some watches achieve icon status by being innovative and bringing something new to the world of watches. And some watches become icons simply because they are cool and gain popularity among enthusiasts. In the watches we've gathered below, you'll find iconic timepieces that fit all these categories. And the best part? Each of them can be purchased for under a thousand dollars.
Casio Databank CA53W
Once the most popular watch among nerds, now a retro icon, this Casio is the best bargain.
These classic 80s calculator watches, straight from Marty McFly's wrist, are still the best nerd watches over 30 years later. And since they can be had for 20 bucks, they are one of the best deals in the entire watch world. These "Back to the Future" watches come with a variety of functions, including a stopwatch, alarm, perpetual calendar, and best of all, a full calculator.
- Diameter: 34.4 mm
- Movement: Battery
G-SHOCK DW5600E-1V
The flagship digital G-SHOCK, made to be the toughest on the planet, remains a timeless classic.
In the 80s, Casio also released the first G-SHOCK watches, designed to be the toughest watches on the planet. In the four decades since, G-SHOCK has grown into a major brand, releasing a myriad of models - from utilitarian tactical watches to luxurious fashion models costing thousands of dollars. This model belongs to the 5600 series, which was born in 1987 from the original G-SHOCK 5000C model of 1983. It may lack the bells and whistles of newer, more expensive G-SHOCK models, but any 5600 model will still be tough as nails.
- Diameter: 48.9 mm
- Movement: Battery
Citizen Nighthawk
Citizen Nighthawk - one of the coolest pilot's watches, equipped with Eco-Drive solar technology.
Most pilot's watches may look cool, but they don't offer much utility to modern pilots (looking at you, Fliegers). However, the Citizen Nighthawk is a different story. One of the most famous watches in Citizen's extensive catalog, the Nighthawk is loved by many real pilots for its combination of a bezel with a crown and Eco-Drive dual time function. The iconic dial may seem intimidating at first, but large indices with bright illumination and sword hands are easily readable at a glance.
- Diameter: 42 mm
- Movement: Eco-Drive
Seiko “Turtle”
Seiko Turtle, consistently popular among divers in the 70s and 80s, look just as great now.
The Seiko lineup has many iconic diving watches, from the Monster to the Samurai and Tuna. While the SKX model is undoubtedly the most iconic of all, this series unfortunately is no longer in production. So we settled on the backup option, the "Turtle", and few will be disappointed with this choice. Known for their rounded cushion case and crown at 4 o'clock, the "Turtle" was eternally relevant for divers in the 70s and 80s, appearing in films like "The Abyss", and was recently resurrected by Seiko as a new fashionable Prospex model.
- Diameter: 45 mm
- Movement: Automatic
Laco Augsburg
Laco WWII pilot's watches became the archetype for all subsequent aviator watches.
We've already mentioned that Fliegers aren't an essential tool for modern pilots, but that doesn't make them any less cool. The German WWII pilot's watches became the archetype for all subsequent aviator watches, and their symmetrical design and easy-to-read layout are the definition of timeless. The German watch company Laco was one of the five original manufacturers of Flieger watches during the war and the only manufacturer today producing them for under a thousand dollars.
- Diameter: 42 mm
- Movement: Automatic
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical
The ultra-durable Hamilton field watches are loved for their accessible size, 24-hour dial, and retro aesthetics.
Although today Hamilton is a Swiss manufacturer and part of the Swatch Group, for most of the 20th century it was an American watchmaker. During this time, it pioneered the creation of field watches worn by American soldiers during World War II. The modern Khaki Field watches are both an evolution of those early field watches and an archetype of the genre as a whole. Its design has inspired countless other field watches, and it remains as versatile, stylish, and reliable as ever. This is Hamilton's flagship watch, and considering the brand's other iconic models (one of which we'll talk about a little later), that says something.
- Diameter: 38 mm
- Movement: Hand-winding
Seiko “Arnie”
This 80s icon, nicknamed after the actor who wore it in two movies, has an aesthetic that remains unique today.
Like the "Turtle", the Seiko "Arnie" watches were popular in the 80s and were eventually discontinued, only to be revived in recent years as a modern, updated Prospex model. Unlike the "Turtle", the "Arnie" got its nickname not from the shape of its case but from its most famous owner. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger wore these watches in a series of 80s action movies, including "Commando" and "Predator", and they have been associated with coolness ever since. The modern version of the watch, known for its ana-digi dial and impressive appearance, is complemented by a solar battery.
- Diameter: 47.8 mm
- Movement: Solar
Bulova Devil Diver
Bulova released a new 70s diver, featuring a memorable design and excellent underwater capabilities.
Bulova's catalog isn't short of memorable watch models, but our favorite - and certainly the boldest - is the Devil Diver. Initially, the watch was known as the Oceanographer following its initial release in the 1970s and got its nickname due to the proudly printed depth rating of "666 feet". This year, Bulova re-released the watch in a modern guise and embraced its devilish heritage, ditching the formalities and directly naming it the Devil Diver.
- Diameter: 41 mm
- Movement: Automatic
Movado Museum
Known for their empty minimalist design, these classic 40s watches are as much a work of art as they are renowned.
Sure, it may not be the model that excites many watch enthusiasts, but the Movado Museum remains a timeless classic and is likely one of the most recognizable watches you'll see out in the world. The original watch, created by Nathan George Horwitt in 1947 for Vacheron & Constantin-Le Coultre Watches and part of MoMA's permanent collection, is known for its clean black dial interrupted only by a circle at the "12 o'clock" position. We'd say that earns it icon status.
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Movement: Quartz
Hamilton Ventura
The modern version of the first electronic watches of the 50s, this classic Hamilton is as fun as it is elegant today.
Among modern collectors, mechanical watches reign supreme, and many watch enthusiasts overlook anything that runs on a battery. But in the mid-20th century, things were different. Back then, before the advent of cheap quartz technology, everyone wanted to get their hands on a new high-tech way to tell time. And Hamilton provided them with the Ventura in the 1950s. As the first electronic watches at the time of release, they quickly became a must-have for the jet set and graced Elvis Presley's wrist. The watches maintained their fame in recent decades thanks to extensive use in the "Men in Black" film franchise, but modern Venturas run on quartz or automatic movements, not on the original Hamilton electric technology.
- Diameter: 34.5 mm
- Movement: Quartz
Junghans Max Bill Hand-Winding
An example of Bauhaus minimalist style, this German icon has barely changed its appearance since its 60s debut.
One of the most famous designs ever created in the Bauhaus is the Max Bill model, which became the archetype of minimalist dials. The hand-winding watch model, first developed by Max Bill for the German brand Junghans in 1961, has since been in constant production and has barely changed. Of course, some materials have been updated (and upgraded), but modern Max Bill models remain as close to their vintage forebear as any watch on the market today.
- Diameter: 34 mm
- Movement: Hand-winding
Glycine Airman
A reissue of the first dual-time zone wristwatch, Glycine Airman still looks stunning with a 24-hour dial and a precise reproduction of 50s watches.
Rolex received a lot of press for releasing the first GMT watches in 1955 with the GMT Master model, but there were actually dual-time zone watches that beat Rolex to the market. When Pan-Am approached watchmakers to find a pilot watch that could track two time zones simultaneously, Glycine and Rolex responded, but the former was first to market. The Airman debuted in 1953 as the first watch capable of tracking two time zones simultaneously. It did so using a 24-hour dial and a 24-hour rotating bezel without the need for a fourth hand (Rolex used four hands, a 12-hour dial, and a 24-hour rotating bezel). Now owned by Invicta, Glycine still produces very accurate reproductions of the original Airman.
- Diameter: 36 mm
- Movement: Automatic